A Second Shot At Life
by hatsandsuch
Summary: Remus finds himself stuck in the past.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical wizarding world, etc. etc.!

* * *

The first thing Remus remembered was the blinding blue light. The next was the sound of his head hitting the floor followed closely by darkness.

It came flooding back to him in bits and pieces. The Death Eaters, the two wands aimed in his direction. What had they done to him? Was his wife okay?

When he finally gathered the strength to open his eyes, he quickly realized that he was in a hospital bed. St. Mungo's, he assumed, before looking around to realize that he was actually in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts.

Madam Pomfrey was by his side in moments, reaching over to check his pulse. "I'm sure your friends will be pleased to hear you're finally awake. Nasty fall you took back there, dear. How're you feeling?"

Remus looked up at her, trying to maintain a straight face instead of the confusion that was threatening to slip through. "I feel all right, Poppy, thanks."

She narrowed her eyes at him in a scolding way, but there was a certain affection hidden there. "Don't you worry. You'll have plenty of time to heal before your...monthly problem."

"What exactly happened?"

"You took a fall on the staircase, dear. Rushing to class, I suppose." She paused to fetch him a healing potion. "Your friends had you here in minutes."

Something was almost certainly wrong. What about the battle? What about Harry? Remus pushed himself up on his elbows and glanced around for some kind of clue as to what had happened. When Poppy offered him the potion, he knew better than to deny it, taking slow and careful sips of the rancid concoction that made him cringe.

"Moony!"

His head whipped around at the old nickname and he felt his heart stop in his chest. It was Sirius- not the Sirius who had just died, but the young and handsome Sirius without years of Azkaban weighing on his shoulders, strolling over to the bed with a grin. "Feeling better, mate? We got you here as fast as we could. Bloody Peter was no help as you might imagine."

Remus stared at the teenager in front of him with his mouth hanging open. This was a dream. It had to be.

"Let him go. He's fine," Sirius insisted. "He doesn't want to miss any classes. Isn't that right, Moony?"

Remus finished the potion with one last grimace and managed a stiff nod.

"Right. So we'll just be off now." Sirius took him by the wrist and tugged him out of bed, rushing him away from Madam Pomfrey before she could argue with them.

Remus let Sirius drag him down a hallway in silence until they reached a bathroom. He yanked himself away and dashed inside, finding exactly what he had feared- his reflection, but one he hadn't seen in a long time. Sandy hair without any gray, skin absent of wrinkles, kind eyes not yet poisoned by time and tragedy. He couldn't have been a day over fifteen.

"Moony, what're you-"

"I have to go see Dumbledore!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical wizarding world, etc. etc.!

* * *

"Moony, wait up! Remus!" Sirius rushed to catch up with him, concern clouding his usually relaxed features. "What's wrong? Maybe you _should_ still be in the hospital wing..."

"Where are you rushing off to, Mister Lupin?"

Remus came to a skidding halt at McGonagall's voice. Sirius collided into him at the sudden stop with a loud, "Oof!"

"Er, sorry Professor," Remus said slowly, rubbing the spot where Sirius' head had hit his. He couldn't help noticing that she looked younger too, though he supposed everyone would. "I've got to see the headmaster. It's...it's urgent."

"Professor Dumbledore is away on business. Is there anything I can help you with?" Remus hesitated for a long moment, considering his situation. Finally, he shook his head. This was better off told to Dumbledore. "Then I suggest you and Mister Black get back to the common room before curfew."

When they reached the common room after a quiet walk, Remus thought he might faint. There was James, hair messy and grinning, and Peter, fawning over James' latest prank that involved turning a screeching first year's hair green. It was like falling into a perfect picture of the past.

"I've got an announcement," Sirius said, lazily draping himself beside Peter. "Moony's hit his head too hard."

"All right, Moony?" James glanced over at him with mild interest. "How many of me do you see? Unfortunately, there's only one, though the world would certainly benefit from a few more."

James was dead, Sirius was dead, Peter was as good as dead. Remus stared at them, opening his mouth only to find he had nothing to say. He was looking at ghosts.

James' face slowly morphed into one of concern when he received no answer and not even the hint of a smile, exchanging anxious glances with Sirius. "Remus, mate, what's the matter?" he prompted, scooting over to give him room to sit beside him.

"Why are you crying?" Peter squeaked.

Remus reached up to his face and was surprised to find his cheeks were wet. "I guess I'm just...happy," he murmured, cautiously taking the seat between Peter and James. Happy, that was a word he hadn't been able to use in a long time. But sitting here with his friends, it was the only way to describe it.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical wizarding world, etc. etc.!

* * *

The first thing Remus did when he followed the boys up to the dormitory was check the calendar for the next full moon. Regardless of what age he looked or what time he was stuck in, this problem would follow him.

Two weeks away. He let out a breath of relief and sat down cautiously on the edge of his bed, trying to look a little less panicked for James' sake. His three friends still seemed concerned, but he had insisted he was just fine.

And he _was_ fine, wasn't he? He was right back in the best years of his life before anything terrible had happened. He had to find a way back of course, but why not enjoy himself until Dumbledore returned? There was nothing else he could do until then anyway.

He stretched out on the mattress and listened to the soft exchange of mumbles between Sirius and James, the two of them clearly whispering about what to do with him. He heard the words 'hospital wing' repeated a few times and smiled a bit. It was a pleasant reminder of their unwavering friendship.

"Remus?" Peter said, moving to stand over him. "Could I borrow your Transfiguration notes? Mine are rubbish."

For the first time, Remus actually _looked_ at Peter. Everything that had happened, everything that was going to happen to these innocent kids, it was all his fault. He was a rat in the truest sense, a liar and a coward. If it weren't for Peter, James, Lily and Sirius would be alive.

But this fifth year standing before him- would it be right to blame him for the mistakes he hadn't yet made? This Peter was his old friend, the one who became an animagus for him, the one he would have trusted with his life. The one James and Lily _had_ trusted with theirs.

"Er- Moony?"

He blinked once and nodded. For now, he would remain civil. "Sure...I'm not entirely sure where they are, but-"

"They're right here." Peter wore a big smile as he fished the right parchments out of Remus' bag. "Thanks!"

"Right, no problem," he murmured, watching him turn and head back to his own bed. Remus was still staring suspiciously at his figure when Sirius' shadow fell across him.

"All right, mate! We've decided you need a bit of adventure to cure that fall."

"I told you, I'm fine. I think I'll just turn in early and..." What if he went to sleep and woke up in the present? What if he was giving up his last chance to see his old friends in action? If this was his only shot, he'd never forgive himself if he let it slip right through his fingers. One glance at Sirius' crestfallen expression and he made his decision in a split second.

"All right, what do you have in mind?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical wizarding world, etc. etc.!

* * *

Remus was no stranger to breaking the rules, but somehow he couldn't shake the nervousness that accompanied James covering him with the Invisibility Cloak and joining him beneath it. Too many years had passed since he'd done this last, he felt like an imposter in his own skin.

"I need a book from the Restricted section of the library," James said simply, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. And if Remus remembered correctly, it wasn't. Sirius and Peter had already lost interest in the disembodied voices, back at their own beds.

"Do the honors?"

James passed what seemed like a piece of blank parchment to him. It appeared new compared to the worn look it had acquired since coming into Harry's possession, but Remus would recognize the map in any state.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," he whispered, holding his wand with a shaking hand and watching the map come alive in front of him as if for the first time. Being back here made it feel like everything was new again despite having seen the map work its magic plenty.

As they walked, he kept his eyes on the moving dots on the map and watched for professors, letting James lead the way, all the while wondering how this could be happening.

The library was quiet and dark. James uncovered himself with an air of unstoppable confidence, illuminated by the light of his wand. He moved swiftly through the shelves, expertly sorting through the books, wasting no time at all.

Remus stayed covered and leaned back against a desk. "So what exactly do you need this book for?"

The innocent question made James pause mid-hunt to look over his shoulder at Remus, eyebrows knit in concern. "All right, Moony? We were all talking about it yesterday, don't you remember?" When Remus didn't respond, he continued slowly, as if talking to a child. "It's for the Veritaserum we're brewing to find out if Peter was lying when he told us he snogged Katie."

"Right, sorry. I'm having a bit of trouble remembering things." Remus rubbed the back of his head for effect. "Bumped my head and all..."

James tucked a book beneath his arm and slipped beneath the cloak again. "What are we studying in Defense?"

"I can't remember."

"Potions?"

"Er..."

"What was Evans wearing yesterday?"

He cracked a grin in spite of himself. "I don't think I'd know that even if my memory was okay, Prongs."

James questioned him all the way back to the dormitories where they found their friends were already fast asleep, Peter snoring loudly.

"You've got a right case of amnesia, mate!" James whispered as he tucked the map and cloak away into his trunk for safe keeping. "Try not to fall again, yeah? Do you want to go to the Hospital Wing?"

Remus climbed into bed, feeling suddenly exhausted at the thought of being poked at and prodded by Madam Pomfrey all night. That was all too familiar of his time at Hogwarts in a bad way, bringing back memories of the particularly bad full moons. He shook his head. There was nothing she could do for him anyway. "I'll be fine, go to sleep."

"A bit bossy there, eh Moony?" Remus saw a flash of James' grin before he had disappeared into his own bed. The smile was contagious; he felt himself grinning back in the dark. "Your memory must really be ruined if you've forgotten that _I'm_ the bossy one."

James fell asleep quickly, breathing soft and steady. The silence punctuated by his friends' sleeping habits was incredibly comforting to Remus who felt like he could relax if only for a moment.

Laying on his back, he conjured up a mirror and examined his reflection once again, still somewhat expecting to see his adult self. Instead, there was a fifteen year old looking back at him, amazement clear on his features.

"Bloody hell," he murmured to himself, setting the mirror down beside the bed. He could stare all night, but it wouldn't change a thing.

He closed his eyes, intent on thinking through his situation and what to do about it, but he was instead asleep within minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical wizarding world, etc. etc.!

* * *

"Moony, wake up!" Remus groaned as a hand took his shoulder and gently shook him. "You missed breakfast and Evans won't shut up about how she needs you for Prefect duties."

Remus swatted the hand away and buried his face into the soft pillow, the memories rushing back at him all at once. Clearly sleep had not been the answer to his predicament judging by Sirius swatting playfully at his head. "C'mon Lupin, wake up!"

Remus rolled over and squinted sleepily up at Sirius, who then gave him another slightly more violent shove.

"What's that for, you prat?" he grumbled, pushing the hair from his face. "I'm _awake_."

"You still looked tired, mate! Just trying to help." Sirius grinned and flopped down beside him, wrestling him off the bed. He only seemed content when Remus fell and thudded against the floor, groaning and rolling onto his stomach.

"Padfoot, be careful!" Remus could hear James' voice somewhere above him, but he remained unmoving. "Moony's already out of sorts from his fall yesterday."

"Not my fault. He didn't want to get up and Lily specifically promised to, and I quote, ring my neck with my own hair if I didn't wake him. It was an act of self preservation."

Remus finally pushed himself up from the floor, bleary eyed and wanting nothing more than to crawl back into his bed, but Sirius was now lounging there, taking up all the room.

He took a long hot shower and dressed quickly before heading down into the common room and bracing himself for-

Lily Evans sitting by the fireplace with a book cracked open on her lap. One of his best friends, still alive and well, looking up from her book to narrow her eyes- Harry's eyes- at him in disappointment. "Remus, you're late!"

It was like seeing the Marauders all over again. He felt frozen in place, unable to speak.

"I promised a group of first years we'd give them a tour of the castle thirty minutes ago. Where have you been?"

"I- sorry...I must have overslept."

"It's all right." She smiled and nodded at him to follow her, pulling her bag over a shoulder. "They're waiting for us by the portrait."

A group of meek eleven-year-olds were gathered together, glancing around anxiously for Lily and Remus. She herded them forward, pointing out simple classrooms as they walked, and Remus struggled not to stare at her with his mouth hanging open the whole time.

"Do you have anything to add, Remus?"

"Er, yes. Right, of course." He tried to join in here and there, throwing in snippets of random information about the castle that he had acquired through the years, and felt extremely relieved when they were finished.

Afterwards, they sat in the Great Hall for lunch. Remus picked at his food, feeling out of place among the Gryffindor table. He wasn't really a student- the last meal he had eaten at Hogwarts had been sitting between other professors.

"Is everything okay?" Lily prompted, reaching over to steal a biscuit from his plate.

He looked over at her and considered his situation again. If he was going to tell the truth to anyone besides Dumbledore, it would have to be Lily. She would take him seriously and try to help, he was sure of it. And she could actually keep a secret.

"I'm in a strange situation..."

"What's wrong?"

He moved the food around on his plate absently. "What if you could go back and fix all your mistakes?" She raised an eyebrow at him and waited for him to continue. "I mean, what if you had the chance to fix everything that ever went wrong in your life?"

"That's an interesting thought. But wouldn't that effect the life you already have?"

Remus thought of Tonks, of Harry, of the baby on the way.

"Lily," he said softly, keeping his voice down. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course."

"I'm not really...what I seem."

"I already know about-"

"No. Not that." He leaned in closer so only Lily could hear. "I'm actually..._older_. I mean..." He couldn't believe how difficult it was to explain it properly. "Yesterday morning I was an adult and then I woke up here in the past. All of this has already happened for me."

Lily eyed him suspiciously. "Remus, you know how much I hate being pranked by you and your friends."

"This isn't a prank! How would this- what would even be funny about this?"

"Getting me to believe something completely absurd, feeding me nonsense about the future."

"Like what?"

"Like Peter becomes the Minister of Magic or James and I get married."

Remus couldn't help himself; he laughed at the irony. This only seemed to frustrate Lily, who grabbed a piece of fruit as she stood.

"Very funny."

"No, Lily, I'm not-"

But she had already stormed off, out of sight.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical wizarding world, etc. etc.!

* * *

Remus spent the rest of the day curled up in the library with a book. He hadn't had much free time to read or relax lately, so this seemed as good a time as any. And maybe, just maybe, he was sort of hiding.

It hadn't even been afull day and already he was second-guessing his original plan. He could just stay here and start over again, prevent everything from happening the horrible way it was supposed to...

But what about _his_ life? It wasn't the easiest or the best, but there were people in the future that he didn't want to lose. Then again, there were people in the past that he didn't want to lose either. Would it be worth it to sacrifice his life if it meant saving his friends from their horrible fates?

It was all too much to think about. The security and comfort he got from books were better than making a life altering decision.

It was almost dark by the time he returned to the common room.

"Moony, where've you been?" Peter was the first to notice him as he quietly stepped through the portrait. That was all it took for James and Sirius to pounce with their own questions about his whereabouts. They really were a codependent crew, not that he minded their concern.

"I was in the library."

James and Sirius groaned and returned to their game of chess, Peter eagerly watching from the sidelines. Remus found a comfy chair beside them and settled in to open yet another book when a shadow fell over him.

"Remus?" It was Lily who approached, twirling her hair around a finger nervously. "I'd like to talk to you...about what you said earlier."

"All right..." He stood up, tucked the book under his arm and followed her to an empty corner of the common room. James glanced suspiciously in their direction.

"What you said...you were serious?"

"I thought you didn't believe me."

"I didn't. I went right up to James and I told him not to put you up to anymore pranks, especially on me, but he just looked confused. So either you're being honest or you're having some fun at my expense and that doesn't seem right..."

His eyes widened and he stepped closer to her, worried someone might overhear. "Lily, I'd never do that. It's true. You're the only one I told."

They stayed quiet for a moment, letting the reality of the situation sink in. Lily was tilting her head to the side and observing him as though she might be able to see through the innocent, youthful face to the man hidden behind it.

"Have you told Dumbledore?"

"He's away."

"Merlin." She ran a hand over her face. "How old _are_ you?"

Remus managed a smile. "Thirty eight."

"And we're still friends, right?" She sounded so hopeful that it broke his heart. How could he tell her the truth?

"I don't think it's wise to tell anyone what happens," he said slowly. "It could mess things up. But put it this way, there's no reason I'd ever stop being your friend."

The soft smile on Lily's face touched her eyes.

"What are you going to do?"

"No idea." James was still staring at them; the jealousy was practically coming off of him in waves. "We'll talk later, yeah? After prefect duties?"

"Okay. You better get back before James's eyes pop out of his head anyway."

With a laugh, Remus headed back over to his friends.

"What was that about?" James snapped. "Top secret _Prefect_ duties?"

"Not top secret, just coordinating..."

"And you're playing pranks without us now?"

Sirius glanced up at that. "Moony! How could you?"

Remus rolled his eyes and returned to his seat. "I'm not pulling pranks. Lily thought I was joking about a first year. It was nothing."

James narrowed his eyes, but left it alone.

* * *

"I think we should follow them." Remus had just left to patrol the corridors with Lily when James hopped out of bed. "We can use the cloak."

Sirius lazily rolled his head to the side to look him over. "C'mon, Prongs, leave it alone. There's nothing going on."

"Remus and Lily are _friends_," Peter pointed out.

"I'll do it myself then!"

Feeling betrayed on all accounts, James draped the cloak over him, snatched up the map and stalked off to find Lily and Remus.

* * *

The corridors were dark and empty. Lily held her wand to light the way while Remus watched for stray figures.

"Come on, you have to tell me something about the future!" Lily begged, using her free hand to tug on his arm. "Am I married?"

Remus hesitated for a long moment and then nodded.

"Brilliant! And do I have children?"

Another reluctant nod.

"Remus, please, I've got to know. Who am I married to?" When he didn't answer, she tried rewording it. "What about this- is my future husband someone we know now?"

Remus chewed on his bottom lip and then nodded again.

"What! Remus, bloody hell, you've got to tell me!"

Remus paused and leaned back against the castle wall, running a hand over his face. "I can't. You won't like it."

"I promise I won't say a thing about who it is."

"Fine!" How much could it hurt? He'd tell her who she would marry and that would be all. "You're going to marry James."

Almost instantly, Lily's face turned about as red as her hair, gaping at the serious expression on Remus's face.

"I do not! That's not funny."

"Okay, whatever you say."

"How could I _ever_...that arrogant prat..." She trailed off, shaking her head bitterly. "It's got to be a love potion. I can't believe he'd..."

"Lily, please."

"I think I'm about ready for bed." Lily turned to him with a tiny smile, trying to reassure him that he had done the right thing when she knew he hadn't. "Goodnight, Remus."

He sighed, watching her retreating back. Clearly, he shouldn't have said anything. He shouldn't have told her the truth in the first place.

He turned to head back to the common room, but before he could even take a step, his arm was grabbed by an invisible force.

"What the-"

James revealed himself and Remus felt his heart stop.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical world, etc. etc.!

* * *

"What are you doing?" Remus gave James a gentle shove so he would loosen the painfully tight grip on his wrist. "You were following me!"

"What are you doing telling Evans you know the future?" James shot back. "I didn't realize you were a bloody Divination prodigy!" An easy smile slipped onto James's face despite the argument they were in the midst of. "Nice one telling her we get married, though."

Groaning, Remus started in the direction of the common room. James hurried after him.

"Moony, what the hell is going on?" He reached over and caught his wrist again, preventing him from moving forward. "I thought we were best friends. Why are you lying to me? To all of us?"

"James." Remus turned on his friend and gave him the same strict expression he had saved for exceptionally rowdy students during his time as a teacher. "I'm not lying to you. Something strange is going on and I can't go into detail about it right now. You're going to just have to trust me."

James didn't even hesitate with a comeback. "But you can go into detail about it with Evans?"

Remus groaned again. Judging by the look of determination on James's face, he wasn't going to stop until Remus relented, but he had nothing to say. The more people he told, the deeper this hole would become until he was trapped in it, no longer able to hoist himself out.

"Merlin, Prongs," he said a bit more softly this time as he weaseled his wrist away from James's strong grip. "Can't you drop it?"

"We're supposed to tell each other everything, Moony."

Remus stared at him for a long moment and then heaved a sigh. He didn't have many choices, only two. He could make something up or tell him the truth lest James would continue to hassle him about it until he eventually gave in.

"I'm...I...er...I've gotten very good at Divination."

"Merlin. You're a bloody terrible liar, mate." James started back towards the common room, dragging Remus along with him. "This must be some hell of a secret. You're not in love with Lily, are you?"

"No!" He thought of Tonks, wishing he could tell his best friend that he'd already found his soulmate. How old would she here- two, three? The thought brought a light pink to his cheeks. She really was much younger than him.

The sound of footsteps caused them to both stop in their tracks. James quickly covered the two of them with the cloak and Remus instinctively pushed himself back against the wall.

It was Slughorn. He was whistling to himself as he walked, wearing green pajamas and fluffy slippers. If Remus had to guess, he was off to the kitchens for a midnight snack.

Once he had gone, the two boys stifled their laughter until they were all but doubled over, pressing their hands over their mouths. "Did you see that outfit!" James whispered.

Remus grinned over at James. There was a heavy weight pressing in on him; the guilt of his knowledge, the responsibility he now had to save his friends. How could he let James and Lily die again when he had the power to stop it all from happening?

If Dumbledore were around, perhaps things would have been different. The older, wiser man would have been able to talk Remus out of it and remind him that time was not to be meddled with. He'd be back in his time within the week and this would all seem like a distant memory.

But Dumbledore was not in the castle.

"All right, James," he said, mind made up. "I'll tel you the truth."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical world, etc. etc.!

James was pacing silently in front of his bed. The only sounds in the dormitory came from the loud nearby snoring of Peter and Sirius and the rain pattering against the windows. Remus sat on James's bed, watching the boy that looked so much like Harry process the information he had just divulged. Still unsure if he'd done the right thing, Remus at least took comfort that James had not doubted his story for even a moment.

Finally, he stopped and turned to Remus who unconsciously held his breath in suspense. So many years had passed and yet this fifteen year old James Potter still had Remus hanging on his every word.

"So," he said, as if speaking the truth would make it any less hard to believe. "You're actually old Moony stuck in the body and time of young Moony."

Remus let out a breath. "Right, yeah. That's basically it. I woke up here yesterday."

"Merlin, that's incredible." He dropped down beside him and leaned in so close that their noses were nearly touching, trying to gauge this new information, trying to see his older friend through his younger features. "I've never heard of magic doing something like this before."

"Neither have I," Remus agreed. "That's why I've been waiting for Dumbledore to return." Though he wasn't sure if he was waiting anymore. Staying here was beginning to sound better by the minute. He could save so many people with the things that he knew. James and Lily could live. Sirius would never have to go to Azkaban or be killed. Peter...well, maybe he could save Peter too. Maybe he could prevent him from the horrible choices he was destined to make.

"What's the future like?" James asked, ruffling up his own hair. "Is there still a war?"

Remus hesitated with a response to that. Leave it to James to focus on the big matters. "Yes," he finally decided on. And your son has a large part in it, he mentally tacked on.

"Am I an auror? Or a famous Quidditch player?" he asked with a grin.

Remus struggled to keep a neutral expression, but the hopeful, bright-eyed imagination of his young friend ripped right through him. He would die before becoming anything other than a member of the Order. In a split second, he decided not to tell him any of that. At least not yet.

"I can't tell you, it's too much information."

"Wait- when you said Lily and I get married..." James trailed off, eyed widening. After a long pause, Remus nodded. "Bloody hell!"

James was yelling. It took no time for Sirius to groan and roll over, Peter too deep a sleeper to be disturbed.

"What are you on about?" Sirius groaned

"I'm going to marry Lily Evans!" he shouted. This time it was loud enough to wake Peter too.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know," he said grumpily.

"Now shut up and go to sleep," Sirius added.

Remus took the opportunity to turn off the lights and crawl into his own bed, cutting their conversation short now that Sirius and Peter were awake. He closed his eyes and imagined the future he could help create, one where they were all just like they were now- happy and worry-free. With that thought still fresh in his mind, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical wizarding world, etc. etc.!

* * *

When Remus woke up the next morning, he didn't wait around for his mates to wake up. If he remembered correctly, which he certainly did, they tended to sleep until the afternoon whenever they didn't have early classes.

He crawled out of bed, took a hot shower and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast with messy, damp hair. The best thing about being young again was that he felt energized, alive, hopeful. All those years of war and pain and tragedy hadn't fallen on his shoulders yet and he truly felt lighter because of it.

Lily was seated at the table with a book open in front of her. He hesitantly took the spot beside her, silently filling his plate with food while she finished up her chapter. Finally, she glanced up at him with a smile. "Hi."

"Hi." He took a bite of a biscuit before he could say anything stupid or blurt out anymore details about the future. He'd been quite bad about that recently.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," she said softly. "I didn't mean to react that way."

"S'all right," he reassured her.

After a few moments of eating quietly, Lily tried to speak up again. It almost felt like they were old friends catching up after a long time apart now that she knew that the Remus sitting beside her wasn't the same one from last week. "I heard Professor Dumbledore's back today. Are you going to go see him?"

Remus went slightly pale at the thought, nearly choking on his toast. Dumbledore was back already? What was he supposed to do now, waltz into his office and be whisked off away to the present as if this had never happened?

"I haven't decided yet..."

"Don't you need to get back?" Lily sounded concerned. She could tell something was wrong if Remus was having second thoughts about returning to his own time, his own life. "You don't want to have to grow up all over again, do you?" she teased lightly, nudging his shoulder with her own.

Remus glanced down at the table and chewed carefully. "Lily," he finally said, his voice barely audible. "Some really terrible things happen in the future. If I stay, I might be able to stop them."

Lily's eyebrows knitted together. "What happens?"

"I can't..."

"Right...well, maybe you can explain it to Professor Dumbledore. I'm sure he'll have some good advice. He always does."

After they finished eating, Lily walked him to the headmaster's office. Before she left, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Good luck."

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Lupin. Come in, come in."

Dumbledore seemed taller from Remus's new perspective, but not really much younger. Remus stepped into the office nervously and took a seat, trying to remember the last time he'd been in here- likely when he had resigned from teaching, he suspected, which seemed like centuries ago with how much had happened in the few years since then.

"How can I help you, dear boy?"

Remus fidgeted in his seat, truly feeling like an awkward teenager now. He didn't know how to begin, so he didn't.

Dumbledore's calm expression remained glued to his face patiently as if he had all the time in the world to wait for Remus to speak.

"I-I..." Remus cleared his throat. It had been a lot less intimidating to tell Lily and James. Dumbledore's kind eyes were seeing right through him. "Professor, something really odd happened to me. I...I was thirty-eight, fighting in a battle, then I got hit with a spell and- and I woke up here...in the past..."

"I see." Dumbledore didn't even blink, though he seemed slightly amused. "That's quite astounding. How many days have you been here?"

"Er- two." Remus busied himself with picking at a stray thread on his sweater.

"Have you told anyone?"

"Just James and Lily."

Dumbledore paused, thinking over the situation and looking over the anxious teenager sitting before him. "This is very powerful magic, Remus. I've never seen anything like it before." Remus nodded in agreement. "You must know that we can't send you back without reversing the spell. If we were to send you back like this, you'd remain in this body. Even if you were to take an aging potion on your return to make you the proper age, the Remus of this time would be missing, which would cause many problems. So, for the time being, you'll have to stay here while we figure it out."

Remus felt his body relax with relief, tension easing in his muscles. He didn't have to leave yet. There was still time. He suspected Dumbledore had known that was exactly what he'd wanted to hear all along.

"I do encourage you to keep everything you know to yourself," Dumbledore suggested with a twinkle in his eye that somehow made Remus feel like he didn't mean what he was saying. "Are you at least having fun, my dear boy?"

Remus cracked an embarrassed smile. "Yes, I suppose I am."

"Brilliant. Ah, to be young again." Dumbledore smiled and gently shooed him away. "Now off to class with you, young man."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the lovely characters or anything involving the magical wizarding world, etc. etc.!

* * *

The next week went by much too quickly. Remus nearly forgot all about his predicament with how preoccupied he was with his mates. It was too easy to fall back into their easy friendships, act like nothing had ever happened, like this was simply his life.

James didn't mention what he'd been told, but he seemed to make it his mission to remind Remus what it was to be young again. Every time they pulled a prank, James pushed Remus to finish it off. At night, they stayed up late, snuck out of the castle and drank Firewhisky by the lake. In class, they stifled laughter until their faces hurt from smiling. It was as though someone had assembled a perfect portrait of the past and dropped Remus right into the middle of it.

His worries were all but gone until the day of the full moon. He'd let it sneak up on him.

"In the future, is it easier?" Lily asked that morning. She had caught him throwing some essentials into a bag, giving away the time of the month and his intentions for the night.

"It is." The thought of suffering a full moon without the Wolfsbane Potion was nearly too much to bear. "There's a potion that helps. It lets me keep my mind through the process." The transformation still wasn't pleasant and the pain lingered, but it was worlds better than what would happen tonight.

He remembered the old schedule like clockwork. He headed to the Shrieking Shack while the sun was still high in the sky and then he sat quietly in the empty room, all alone for hours, feeing small and worthless. Eventually, the wolf would take over and his mind would be long gone by the time his friends joined him.

He thought he was prepared, but sitting in that room was making him fidgety, bringing back memories he didn't want to remember. He looked over at the damage he'd done to the walls and furniture over the years and shrank back into himself. How was he capable of so much anger and rage and destruction?

Time seemed to tick by slowly. He was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, when he felt the painful changes beginning. The next thing he knew, he was cracking his eyes open in the Hospital Wing.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Poppy lingered over him, testing his temperature with the palm of her hand. "You must have had a rough night."

Judging by the pain he felt coursing through his body, it must have been a bad night. He tried to move and groaned softly when he realized it hurt too badly. His young body had not grown used to this yet. In the future, it was almost as if he had developed calluses from the inside out- the pain was still there, but he knew what to expect, had grown used to it.

"Moony." A voice startled him. He glanced beside his bed, every slight movement shooting pain through his weak body, to see Peter sitting there with a stack of books piled in his lap. "All right, mate? I brought you some books you might like."

Remus stared at him incredulously. He had no idea what to say. Over the last week, he had been keeping his distance from Peter in a way that must have been obvious to him. It had simply been easier that way because every time their eyes met, Remus was tempted to hold his wand up and punish him for all that he'd done- all that he was going to do.

"Er...thanks," Remus said in a hoarse voice.

Madame Pomfrey left them alone after handing Remus a healing potion, which he sipped at hesitantly, every sip burning his throat.

"Last night was...especially bad. You were really, really not yourself," Peter explained in a whisper. "So much angrier than normal- you scratched James, but don't worry, he's all right. Sirius is still sleeping- he was up all night keeping you from running off."

The color drained from Remus's face. The wolf inside of him hadn't been out in years. He wondered if that made a difference, if it had made him more violent.

"Moony, c'mon, don't blame yourself, mate. You know it's not you," Peter reminded him. The kind words stung all over, his head spinning with a mix of guilt for blaming this young boy for mistakes he hadn't made yet and regret for what was going to happen. It was as though he had been betrayed all over again, watching Peter now, his brain going in circles wondering how this soft spoken boy could be responsible of so many future deaths.

The silence on Remus's part seemed to make him anxious. He set the books down on the table beside the bed. "We'll visit later. Get some rest, eh?"

Remus stayed quiet even after Peter disappeared and left him all alone in the hospital wing, wondering all the while how he was going to manage to fix this.


End file.
